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Slow Through The Dark

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

Slow moves the pageant of a climbing race;     Their footsteps drag far, far below the height,     And, unprevailing by their utmost might,     Seem faltering downward from each hard won place.     No strange, swift-sprung exception we; we trace     A devious way thro' dim, uncertain light,--     Our hope, through the long vistaed years, a sight     Of that our Captain's soul sees face to face.     Who, faithless, faltering that the road is steep,     Now raiseth up his drear insistent cry?     Who stoppeth here to spend a while in sleep     Or curseth that the storm obscures the sky?     Heed not the darkness round you, dull and deep;     The clouds grow thickest when the summit's nigh.

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"Slow moves the pageant of a climbing race;..."

This evocative piece by Paul Laurence Dunbar, titled "Slow Through The Dark", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:Paul Laurence Dunbar

"Slow moves the pageant of a climbing race;..." by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

Paul Laurence Dunbar

About Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) was an American poet and novelist who was one of the first African-American writers to gain national prominence. His poems in dialect—including "When Malindy Sings"—and standard English explore Black life with humor, pathos, and dignity.

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